The capital, Budapest, steals the spotlight with its river views, ancient bathhouses and striking parliament building that glows at night. Across the country you find quiet villages, peaceful hills and lakes that shine in the sun.
Lake Balaton offers long shoreline drives, vineyards and relaxed beach towns. The Great Plain stretches wide toward the horizon and gives you a sense of space that feels endless. Towns like Eger, Pecs and Sopron show layers of Roman, Ottoman and Austro Hungarian history in one place. Castles sit on hilltops, wine regions fill the valleys and caves run beneath old cities.
Hungary has a rich food culture with goulash, paprika dishes and fresh pastries that feel perfect after a day on the road. Folk traditions are strong and music festivals fill the summer. Just follow scenic roads through forests or explore lively city squares. Hungary gives you a mix of color and character that stays with you even after your road trip.
Hungary in a nutshell
- Population 9.5 million people (2025)
- Capital Budapest
- Citizens are Hungarian
- Native language is Hungarian
- Local currency Hungarian Forint
The Big Four
Fun Facts
- City of Baths Hungary sits on one of the richest thermal water systems in the world. Budapest has the highest concentration of thermal springs in the world with more than one hundred hot springs and dozens of historic bathhouses. You can relax in warm mineral water fed straight from the earth.
- Clinking glasses Hungarians do not clink beer glasses as a sign of respect for the 13 Hungarian generals executed by Austrians in 1849. This custom originated because Austrian soldiers celebrated their victory by clinking beer mugs, which Hungarians vowed never to do.
- Buda and Pest Budapest was once two separate towns. Buda sat on the hills and Pest stretched across the flat side of the Danube. They merged in 1873 and the Chain Bridge became a symbol of unity. You can still walk across it today and see how the two sides meet.
- First subway Budapest has the first underground railway in continental Europe, opened in 1896 for the millennium celebrations. Second in the world after London and the first to use electric trains. It remains operational today. Its small yellow cars still keep their original charm.
Explore the regions
Hungary's history
Hungary’s story begins when Magyar tribes arrived around the year 895 and founded a new home in the heart of Europe. Under King Stephen in the year 1000 the country became a kingdom and many of its oldest churches and traditions took shape. Medieval towns grew along important trade routes and stone castles rose on hills to guard the land.
By the sixteenth century Hungary faced the expansion of the Ottoman Empire. Much of the country fell under Ottoman rule while the Habsburgs controlled the west and north. This split shaped cities in very different ways. You can still see it in the old Turkish bathhouses of Budapest and the baroque palaces of towns like Eger and Sopron.
After the Ottomans left the Habsburgs unified the territory and Hungary joined the Austro Hungarian Empire in 1867. Budapest became one of Europe’s fastest growing cities with grand boulevards and a skyline that still impresses today.
In 1989 Hungary opened its borders to the west and played a key role in the fall of the Iron Curtain. Since then the country has rebuilt and restored many historic sites. You can now walk through medieval squares, explore fortresses or relax in thermal baths. You will see how each era left its mark.